Apparatus for refining fibrous materials



Jan. 1951 H. L. x. VINCENT 2,536,332

APPARATUS FOR REFINING FIBROUS MATERIALS Filed 001;. 20, 1947 INVENTOR- HET'UP'L LemnXaviar Vincent Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED "STATES i ATiE-ZNT OFFICE Application October 20, 1947, Seria'l No.-780.,7=74 In GreatBritain February 1-6, .1939

'1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to "apparatus for the treatment of fibrous "materials and the present "application is a continuation-impart of application, Serial No. 310,905, filed December 26,, 1939, nowabandoned.

'-I t is an object "of the present invention to ,pro- 'vi'de improved apparatus for the preliminary treatment of fibrous material such as the pulp used in the paper industry, so as to obtain from such treated pulp a paper of better "quality, and which at the same time shall be economical in operation.

It has previously been proposed .for refining fibrous substances to load the :pulp in a thick state into (apparatus having an outer rotating drum. Rotating rollers are strongly urged against each other and between which rollers the vpulp is repeatedly thrown by the outer drum in such a manner as to be instantly "and violently dried and dishevelled by the water driven through the pulp by the rollers. One of the rollers rests in fixed bearings and is maintained in rapid rotation by a motor through suitable gearing. The other roller is also driven bvls itable transmission means and is urged a ainst the first roller-by means of a screw-threaded rod and spring.

'It has also been proposed in a beating or refining machine for preparin stock for paper and the like to use a rotating drum with a number of rollers therein, which may be ribbed, toothed or fitted with rivets or the like. Such rollers when the drum is rotated are caused by friction with it and with each other to rotate, substantially maintaining their spatial relation to the axis of the drum and to each other by virtue solely of the friction with each other and with the drum resulting from their weight. In such apparatus the material is crushed by the rolling and rubbing action of one roller upon the other and u on the drum.

It has also been proposed in hydrators for paper stock or pulp to use a casing the inner wall of which is provided with gears which intermesh with other inner planetary gears, the teeth of the gears being of the spur type, or helical so as to subject the pulp to a high pressure.

The present invention pertains to improved apparatus for the treatment of fibrous materials, more particularly of the pulp used in the paper industry. The apparatus comprises a moving supporting and refining surface for the fibrous material and a plurality of rotating rollers. The surface of the rollers are provided with grooves or the like or grooves which in the direction of their length are substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rollers. The rollers are positively held at .a fixed distance from each other-and the moving surface bringing thefibrous .material successively between it and eachof the rollers.

One at least of the surfaces between which the pu'lpis pressed may be rendered rough. For instance, the outer suriace of the projecting parts or ribs between 'the grooves of the rollers and/or the surface of the inner wall of the outer cylinder imay -be rendered rough, or by covering them with materials of suitable nature, for instance wood, .lava, basalt,..syn'thetic substances.

"The accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically and by wayof example one mode of carrying out theinvention.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal section of apparatus exhibiting the invention,

Fig. Z'is aside v iew, and

Fig. 3 shows anelevation of a detail on a larger scale.

Referring to the drawing, I is a frame which may be made of structural iron or of cast pieces. The frame I carries a transmission system ineluding amotor 2 which'actuatesan outer cylinalert .by a belt .trainedrabout a track l5, but which may also be made to actuate the central shaft 4 of the cylinder 3. A gear mechanism I8, I9 may be used to control the speed of inner rollers II', for instance so as to exert a braking action upon these rollers relatively to the speed which would be imparted to them by the rotation of the outer cylinder 3, through the intermediary of the pulp.

The cylinder 3 is provided with annular tracks 6 against which rest rollers I4 (Fig. 2) secured to shafts rotating in bearings mounted on the frame I. The cylinder 3, which may be made of metal or metal alloy, may be caused to rotate by any suitable transmi sion means.

The rollers I are provided with circumferential grooves 2!} (Fig. 3). This is an essential feature of the present invention as the grooves thus provided upon one of the rotating surfaces, greatly improve the final product. The grooves are circumferential. The rollers I I which may be made of metal or metal alloy, are loosely mounted upon their supports 12, the rotation of the rollers II being ensured by the rotation of the outer cylinder 3, and if necessary by the transmission I8, I9. The rollers I! are provided along their entire length with equally spaced circumferentially projecting ribs 2I all of equal height with intermediate grooves 20 all of equal depth, the outer surface of the projecting ribs being cylindrical and the grooves in the direction of their length being substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rollers.

The outer surface 2| (Fig. 3) of the projecting parts or ribs between the grooves ll may be rendered rough by being serrated for the purpose of preventing slipping of the pulp when seized by the ribs. The grooves are approximately three times wider than the ribs 2|. These grooves 29 and annular ribs are arranged throughout the active length of the rollers II. This spacing of the ribs 2| provides relatively wide grooves 20 therebetween which have been found to produce an unusual fine type of pulp, This result is possibly due to the fact that the widely spaced ribs allows the accumulation of material quantities of the treated material in the grooves 20.

The number of rollers inside the outer cylinder may of course be varied. In the drawing, twentysix rollers are shown. In certain cases however a different number or smaller number of rollers may be used. These rollers may be held in ciroumferential spaced relation from each other by arms l2 radiating like the spokes of a wheel from a central shaft. Each arm is provided with resilient means for the respective roller and with its own lifting device for varying the pressure of the roller upon the pulp. If desired other known means may be used for resilient adjustment of the rollers, the essential feature common to all these means being that the rollers are positively held at fixed distance from each other.

In the drawing, one roller is shown as being supported by arms I2 secured on the central shaft 4 and provided with an adjustment device [3 for varying the pressure of the roller upon the pulp. A similar arrangement may be employed for all the rollers. 7

Any known feeding means may be used for introducing the pulp into the apparatus. The removal of the treated pulp is preferably efiected on the end side opposite to that of the feeding. Any known means may be provided for facilitating the emptying of the cylinder 3 and for bringing the cylinder 3 to the emptying position.

It is to be understood that the above description is given only by Way of example. The shape,

size, materials used and all modifications of details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined by the claim. The invention may be usefully applied to fibrous material such as asbestos for mixing with other materials, such as water, cement, and the like. The invention may also be used for refining other cellulosic materials, for instance sawdust, cotton, rags, and the like.

I claim:

Apparatus for the treatment without tearing of pulp fibers comprising, a cylinder rotatable about its axis and having a smooth cylindrical inner surface, a plurality of rollers mounted within the cylinder for rotation and provided along their entire active lengths with a plurality of circumferentially extending equally spaced grooves all of which are of equal depth, projecting ribs on said rollers intermediate the grooves, the outer,

surface of said projecting ribs being of equal height and being arranged substantially perpendicular to the axis of said rollers, serrations car- 7 ried by the peripheral portions ofsaid ribs, and

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 799,990 Knapp Sept; 19, 1905 1,269,424 Grass June 11, 1918 1,302,469 Haug Apr. 29, 1919 1,679,241 David July 31, 1928 2,133,449 Haug Oct. 18, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,511 Austria of 1900 528,244 Great Britain Oct. 25, 1940 656,813

Germany Feb. 15, 1938 

